Erosion and abrasion on mild carbon steel surface by steam containing SiC microparticles

A kind of steam impaction apparatus was developed to study the influence of microparticles on steam erosion. After 10 min exposure, no erosion pits appeared on the mild carbon steel surface under the impaction of pure water steam when the steam speed was controlled below the threshold velocity. However, at the same speed, erosion pits appeared on the surface when SiC microparticles were added into the steam. Further experimental investigations proved that the pits were not from the collision of microparticles to the metal surface, but similar to the cavitation erosion pits. It indicates that the microparticle may enhance the liquid impaction erosion besides causing the abrasion, and the generation of pit is thought to be the results of cavitation erosion.